The Verdala Story · [email protected] 1 The Verdala Story By Rita DeBattista Subject co-ordinator...
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[email protected] 1 The Verdala Story By Rita DeBattista Subject co-ordinator Geography Guzeppi Despott Boys’ Junior Lyceum Verdala, Cospicua, MALTA Daughter of serviceman Anthony DeBattista LAC 777508
Transcript of The Verdala Story · [email protected] 1 The Verdala Story By Rita DeBattista Subject co-ordinator...
The Verdala Story
By Rita DeBattista
Subject co-ordinator GeographyGuzeppi Despott Boys’ Junior Lyceum
Verdala, Cospicua, MALTADaughter of serviceman Anthony DeBattista LAC 777508
Special Edition for the Re-Union of Staff and Students of the Royal Naval Verdala School on 20th September 2005 at
Guzeppi Despott Boys’ Junior Lyceum Verdala, Cospicua, Malta
Permission for copying thisPowerpoint Presentation can be obtained by sending email to [email protected]
Let the stones of Verdala speak…..
Reach by walking uphillTop part of hill levelled offMilitary style of buildingsDates indicate that the oldest buildings were constructed during the late 19th centuryOpen corridors link style to British Military ArchitectureWell and caption indicates reservoir underneathDome on top of hall quite particular for MaltaVery tall palm tree Dome and palm tree represent landmarks that can be seen from afar
Research work links Verdala to
Great Siege of MaltaThe French in MaltaThe British RuleMalta as a Democratic RepublicDevelopments in the Maltese Educational SystemTo our own life history
Oil Painting on Canvas by Artist Matteo Perez d'AleccioDate late 16th centuryNational Maritime Museum, London
Details of the Painting
This is the fourth of eight pictures commemorating the Siege of Malta in 1565. It documents the siege of St Michael on 28 June and shows the Christian Knights cut off from the sea and surrounded in their remaining fortresses.After St Elmo was taken, the Turks turned their guns to the forts of St Angelo and St Michael.The Turkish batteries are shown mounted on the landward side across the harbour from St Elmo.In the foreground gunners fire from the batteries, with three cannons on the left and at St Margherita, showing five cannons on the right. The Turkish cannons on the far right can be seen pointing at the fort.Inside, the fort is lined with the Christian soldiers preparing to defend it.
The Defensive WallsDec. 30th 1638
1670
The first stone of the FirenzuolaLines was laid by Grand Master Lascaris. These later became known as the Margherita Lines. The oldest part of these walls is the Verdala Gate opposite the school entrance. Grand Master Cotonercontributed generously out of his own personal resources for the building of the CottoneraLines.The project was started on 28th August 1670. In ZabbarGate there is a statue of Grand Master Cotoner.
More details about the Margherita Lines
1697 - Margherita Lines continued by Grand Master Perellos.1720 - Grand Master Zondadari had to continue the walls when Perellos died.1736 - The Margherita Lines were finished by Grand Master Vilhena.
It took 98 years to build the Margherita Lines.
The French in Malta
June 9th 1798
June 11th 1798
Sept. 2nd 1798
Napoleon arrived in Malta with 472 ships and the army landed the next day.Grand Master HompeschsurrenderedThe Maltese revolted against the French.
What happened next??
Sept.25th 1798
Sept. 5th 1800
Nelson arrived and put Alexander Ball in charge of the campaign to overcome the French, who were still inside Valletta and the Cottonera Lines.The French had their guns on the CottoneraLines that is at the bottom of the football field.The French surrendered.
The Victorian Fortress of Verdala
1814
1853
1844
1851
With the Treaty of Paris Malta became officially part of the British Empire.The British decided to build the VerdalaBarracks behind the old Verdala Gate and they also made a new gate leading into Cospicua. Above this gate there is the Royal Coat of Arms and the date.The British decided to build a big fortress in front of the barracks.Evidence suggests that the fortress was designed by Major General Sir George Judd Harding K.C.B., R.E. Captain A.D. Craigle R.E. arrived with the 4th Company Royal Sappers and Miners to start the building.
The Construction Site
1854 This is the whole area on which school now stands. Two sets of high walls were built from Verdala Barracks to St. Clement’s Bastion on the CottoneraLines. The area between the walls was levelled off for the erection of new buildings. This was not finished until 1860.
The work finally finished!circa 187618961906
The first building was the hall. Block E is builtBlock B was built.Verdala walls have 384 rifle slits and there are casemates for cannons on each side. The guns were kept in the tunnels which run along the inside of the bastion walls. The tunnels were also used for storing gunpowder and ammunition. Verdala became the main powder store for the Mediterranean Fleet of Britain. Water tanks were built to flood the ammunition stores in case of fire.The main tank under the playground holds more than a million gallons of water.
The tunnels are no longer used for storing gunpowder.
Regiments stationed at Verdala
1876 1880-841887-891890-9118921893-951896-981907-08
2nd Battalion North Staffordshire 1st Batt. South Staffs1st Batt. Bedfordshire Signallers1st Batt. Bedfordshire Signallers2nd Batt. Connaught Rangers1st Batt. North StaffsDuke of Wellington’s1st Bat. Connaught Rangers Signallers
Evidence – Badges carved on roof top
1st World War
Some German prisoners-of-war were also at Verdala barracks prison camp.
One of these was Karl Doenitz, who was to become the Commander in Chief of the German Navy during the Second World War, and was to succeed Hitler as the head of Germany. Others were officials of the German war ship ‘Emden’.
Prisoners of war at Verdala
Karl Doenitz succeeded Hitler as Chancellor for a very limited span of
time
Prince Franz Josef Hohenzollern & Captain Karl Friedrich Max von Muller
A school at last!
Verdala appears on the scene in 1929.By then there were too many children for the Senglea building to hold and an old Royal Marine barracks and ex-prisoner-of-war camp at Cottonera in St Clements Bastion were taken over.This we now know as Verdala School.Here were buildings which would hold 350 children, but the records for 1932 show only 150 boys and 70 girls attending.This number increased steadily to 530 in 1938.The school also catered for the education of the Dockyard apprentices in the evenings. Top storeys were built on the main Verdala Blocks, in 1938.
.
1920 –Verdala home to White Russian Officers
The White movement, whose military arm is known as the White Army or White Guard and whose members are known as Whites or White Russianscomprised some of the Russian forces, both political and military, which opposed the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution and fought against the Red Armyduring the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921.It stood in contradistinction to the Reds—the revolutionary Red Army who supported the sovietsand Communism. Second, the word "white" had monarchist associations: historically each Russian Tsar was solemnly called the white tsar, and the monarchist ideal during the civil war was known as the white idea.
School Closes due to 2nd World War
This story of growth and development was sadly interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1939, and eventually all English wives and children were evacuated from Malta.The school struggled on in yet another home at St George's Barracks, but eventually shut down completely in September 1942.During the war the Verdala buildings were badly damaged.
2nd World War at Verdala
1940
1940-19441943
1945
Verdala called His Majesty’s Ship EuralydonTransit campPrisoner of war campNaval Detention CentreDemob. Centre Servicemen enroute for ship or flight to UK
A school again !The Headmaster's report for 1948 said that no more children could be crammed into Tal Handaq. In 1949 the old School at Verdala was repaired and restored as a school.The rebuilding of the hall was not completed until 1951.The School's record year for growth was 1952, when 300 additional children were absorbed, the total number reaching 1947 by the end of the year.During this year the school was given a new name 'Royal Naval School‘.
Political decisions -
In 1971 Malta ‘s Prime Minister Dom Mintoff was asking for more money for the British base in Malta.During the Christmas holiday 1971, a few days before term was due to start, it was announced that all Service dependants were to leave Malta within two weeks and the schools would not reopen.A agreement was reached by the Maltese and British political leaders.Two terms later, in September 1972, the school reopened, somewhat reduced in size and with about 50% new staff and 75% new pupils.
Third closure of school
Numbers reached 600 by September 1973 and stayed about this level until early 1977 when the final rundown began to bite, causing numbers to decline steadily to the final total of just over 300.School closed July 1977 for the third time.
R.S. StubbingsHeadmaster 1976I hope that we have been able to close Verdala in
such a way that a cheerful, business as usual atmosphere has prevailed thereby minimising any sadness or insecurity which might have been felt by the children.
I am sure that a large number of you will associate Verdala with laughter and happiness. I hope the children will. I certainly will. I will never forget the Pantomines, the Class Assemblies, the Sports Days, the Music Festivals and of course the Staff versus School netball matches.
The International School of Malta
Jan 1977
1977 -1978
October 1987
The International School of Malta opened at Verdala for those students whose parents were in the oil exploration field. This school closed in June.The School resumed under a new name that is The Verdala School of Malta. The School was also open for Maltese students. Eventually the name of the school was changed to Verdala International School. This school moved to St. Andrews.
Verdala as a State SchoolSept. 1984
Sept. 1985
The Verdala Boys Secondary opened for ex-private school students whose parents had opted for a Government School. The head of school was Mr. Charles Chetcuti.The Verdala Junior Lyceum was opened for those students who passed from the national exams set at the end of primary level. Mr. Charles Chetcuti remained as headmaster of
Verdala Junior Lyceum which eventually became known as ‘Guzeppi Despott Boys’ Junior Lyceum.’A new block was built behind Block F to provide rooms for special lectures, and the teaching of Information Technology.
Headmaster’s PostJuly 1998
Sept.’98 -March’99
The long term of Mr. Charles Chetcuti’s headship ended after a span of 14 years during which the identity of the G. Despott Junior Lyceum was established.Mr. Raymond Zammit was appointed headmaster of G. Despott Junior Lyceum. He remained in this position till March when he received another posting in a different school.
The 4th Head for VerdalaJunior Lyceum
Last term 1999
Sept. 2002
Sch. Year 2004-2005
Mr. Emmanuel Chetcuti became the new headmaster of G. DespottJunior Lyceum. Mr. Emmanuel Chetcuti continued to give his full commitment to the school up to the very last days of his appointment.Mr. Joe Huber became the new headmaster of Guzeppi DespottBoys’ Junior Lyceum at VerdalaCospicua.Special activities organised to celebrate the 20th year since the school opened in Sept. 1984.
Special mass celebrated by Archbishop Guzeppi Mercieca for the
20th Anniversary of the School
New developments in educationSchool Development Plan to establish the priorities that need to be accomplished for each scholastic year.Annual Exhibition involving students in the planning, setting up and dismantling of sections on display. Motivating students to participate in national and international competitionsUtilising IT technology to involve students in their own learning strategyTaking an active role in regards to Environmental IssuesActive Participation in Global Education Week in collaboration with the North South Centre of the Council of Europe
Looking beyond the Horizon!
Two Comenius Projects Theme of 1st project with Poland, Hungary and Germany is ‘Fighting Stereotypes in European Nations’.First project meeting was held in Malta and the second in PolandThe 2nd Project is with partner schools in Latvia, Lithuania and Germany. This project is entitled ‘My school – My Castle – myth or reality’.
Celebrating Britain !
To celebrate 200 years of friendship between Britain and Malta a competition was organised for Maltese school children.Rylan Patissier, one of our students, won a trip to London during December 2000.Rylan wrote about the link that our school has with Britain.
Extract from essay written by Rylan
‘If I should die, think only this of me:That there’s some corner of a foreign field,
That is forever England…’Rupert Brooke’s poem can be easily adapted to
describe the strong English influence that can be found in Malta. Two hundred years of British rule have certainly left an indelible mark on Malta and the Maltese…….
The bond between the British and the Maltese is still alive and going strong. I deduct this from the fact that quite a number of British citizens return to our school on a trip of nostalgia. As part of our on-going geographical project, my friends and I have willingly opted to conduct interviews with these British tourists to obtain the human aspect of the Verdala story….
Concluding on a humorous note!!
Pranks over the span of time -Hide-outsChase and kiss during the days of co-edFinding how useful a newspaper can beWays to avoid a testReal commitment so as not to be caught without homework
References
Websites – RoyalNavalSchoolVerdalahttp://schoolnet.gov.mt/gdespottjl/
Newspaper cuttingsInterviews with students and staff of VerdalaVerdala primary school year book 1976Contributions to ‘Verdala Story’ also made by other members of staff - M. Zammit, L. Farrugia Gambin, O. Calleja, P. Pulis
Thanks for your attention.You have behaved extremely
well for such a big class!!
Pass on message that former students and staff of theRoyal Naval School are always welcome at
G. Despott JLRita
